Negotiators for the Minot Public School Board and the Minot Education Association have reached a tentative agreement on a two-year contract for teachers. The agreement must be approved by the board and the teachers union.

According to district business manager Scott Moum, the tentative agreement calls for a $400 increase on the base salary for a beginning teacher in 2021-2022 and another $400 increase on the base salary for a beginning teacher in 2022-23. Moum said that amounts to a .95 percent increase on the base in 2021-22 and a .94 percent increase in 22-23. The existing salary schedule would be honored and teachers would be able to move up the salary schedule based on increased education and experience. Health insurance costs are expected to increase 4 percent. The total additional cost to the district for the first year of the contract is $1.794 million and the total projected cost is $1.805 million.

In addition, COVID-19 pandemic retention pay is added to the agreement. During the 2021-22 school year, all teaching staff who complete the first semester of teaching each year will receive 2 percent of their individual base pay, to be paid out on the Jan. 31 payroll, and will receive another 2 percent of their individual base pay on the June 30 payroll if they complete teaching the second semester. In the 2022-23 school year, teachers who complete teaching the first semester will receive 1 1/2 half percent of the Jan. 31 payroll and another 1 1/2 percent of their base pay with the June 30 payroll if they complete teaching the second semester of that school year. The COVID-19 retention pay would come out of funding the district has received for COVID-19 relief called ESSER funds and would be one-time only payments.

Negotiators met twice and reached an agreement on Wednesday, said Moum.